CBI boost for pay claims
Page 7
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
• Poorly paid truck drivers are hopeful of higher wages after the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) told employers not to fear the effects of higher wages.
Union leaders welcomed a speech by CBI chief Adair Turner in which he encouraged employers to offer their workers "opportunities, prospects and participation" in their success. Turner said there was no need to fear a growth in average earnings, provided "reward is driven by the right factors". The speech has been seen as an endorsement of Labour's stakeholder proposals.
Wage rates are already rising among truck mechanics and technicians, according to a survey published last week by the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMI).
Gross weekly earnings, including overtime payments, have risen by more than 5% over the past 12 months, says the survey. While light vehicle mechanics earn an average of 2265 a week, the average weekly wage of an HGV mechanic is 2289. But the survey shows a significant disparity in pay across the country: gross weekly earnings can reach £550 in London and the South-East.
Mercedes-Benz dealer Mike Mudie, who chairs the RMI's national truck committee, says workshop rates are likely to continue rising in the short term: "We are in the middle of a skills shortage and truck dealers are paying the price for not recruiting more apprentices during the recession," he says. "Some dealers are beginning to take on apprentices again, but many are finding a growing reluctance among youngsters to enter the truck industry."